1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates, in general, to the field of fasteners. In particular, the present invention relates to a fastener assembly including a plurality of clips and fasteners. The clips and fasteners can be used in construction applications such as deck board installation.
2. Description of the Related Art
The use of fastening tools, such as pneumatic or electrically powered fastening tools, is commonplace in the construction industry. Devices, such as nails employed with fastening tools are often provided in collated assemblies. However, in the field of deck construction, current deck board installation requires the user to manually and separately connect a clip and fastener, position the clip and fastener together in the correct location on the deck boards for installation, and align a drill or hammer with the clip and fastener to install the clip and fastener. The aforementioned steps are repeated hundreds or thousands of times for each deck installation.
Existing fasteners, such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,256,614, include multiple clips that are individually joined to each other, or interconnected after release from a fastening tool. However, U.S. Pat. No. 8,256,614 has the disadvantage of requiring two modes of installation for feeding the fastening components: an apparatus of installation tool for feeding deck clips, and an apparatus of installation tool for allowing a screw/nail of each deck clip to be positioned in an associated deck clip. Accordingly, there is a need in the art for an improved fastener assembly, such as the fastener assembly disclosed herein, that reduces the number of steps for fastening tool loading, thereby saving deck construction time.